Brisbane International Airport is one of Australia’s main air travel hubs, handling dozens of daily flights from destinations across the country and around the world. About 20 international airlines provide regular service into Brisbane, including the national carrier Qantas which offers direct flights to North America and Europe. Passengers flying from other international destinations may have to fly into Sydney first and then catch a connecting flight to Brisbane.

The international and domestic terminals are located about a mile apart, but connected by a free transport shuttle. Both terminals have excellent facilities to help with money matters and any last minute shopping needs. The Arrivals area of the International Terminal has a useful information desk to assist with flight inquiries, tourist information and transfers to the Domestic Terminal.

The airport is located 10 miles from the centre of Brisbane. Airtrain provides one of the best transport options, linking both terminals with the city via train. These trains depart the airport every 15 minutes from 05:00 to 21:00 daily, taking around 20 minutes to reach Brisbane. Airtrain also provides rail service to the Gold Coast if you’re heading straight to the beach.

Passengers can also catch the shuttle operated by Coachtrans which runs between the airport and Roma Street Transit Centre. These convenient shuttles depart every 30 minutes from 05:00 until 23:00, taking around 40 minutes to reach the transit centre. Taxis also wait outside both terminals to whisk passengers directly to their destination.

If you don’t fly into Brisbane, it’s easy to reach the city by train, coach or car. Queensland Rail runs a number of long-distance trains between Cairns and Brisbane, while Countrylink provides rail service between Sydney and Brisbane. Regionally, the City Train operates daily rail service between destinations along the Gold and Sunshine coasts. All trains arrive and depart from the Roma Street Transit Centre in the heart of Brisbane.

Long-distance coaches operated by Greyhound can connect you with virtually every town in Australia. All coaches arrive and depart from the Roma Street Transit Centre. If you are travelling by car, the Bruce Highway connects Brisbane with Cairns to the north, and the Pacific Highway connects the city with destinations to the south.

Within the city of Brisbane, the public transport system is operated by TransLink, which runs a seamless network of buses, trains and ferries. A single ticket is used for all the different means of transport, allowing for easy transfers. You can buy tickets directly on the bus or at a train station, as well as from some newsstands in the city centre. The transport network is divided into zones for ticketing purposes. Most attractions lie within the four most central zones.

Public buses run from 05:00 to 23:00 on weekdays, with shorter service at weekends. You can catch a bus to virtually every destination in town from the City Hall stop at King George square. More useful to tourists is the free Downtown Loop bus which runs in a circle around the centre of Brisbane. These bright red buses are easy to spot, and they stop only at red bus stops. The free buses run on two routes, and stop at popular attractions such as Queen Street Mall, City Botanic Gardens, King George square and Riverside Centre. They operate Monday through Friday from 07:00 to 17:50, hitting each station every 10 minutes or so.

Brisbane’s city rail system is also a convenient way to cover longer distances. These trains, which are clean, safe and fast, will come in handy if you need to get to any of the suburb areas. All the trains leave from Central Station, and run from 05:00 until midnight everyday except Sundays when they stop at 23:00.

Ferries make up the other portion of Brisbane’s public transport system. Super quick CityCat ferries zip between popular spots along the water such as South Bank Parklands, Riverside Centre, Queensland Cultural Centre, Brett’s Wharf, and New Farm Park. The slower CityFerry boats offer more frequent service to a greater number of stops if the CityCat doesn’t go where you need to go. All ferries operate from 06:00 until 22:30 every day.

If you need fast convenient transport directly to your destination, Brisbane has a reliable fleet of taxis. Black and White Taxis and Yellow Cabs are the two main taxi operators. Taxis can be hailed in the street or hired at one of the taxi ranks on Edward street, George street, and at both ends of Queen Street Mall. If you are driving your own car, be prepared for Brisbane’s confusing layout of one-way streets. Otherwise, traffic is no worse than in any other large city.